Organization:

Mission: We unite people to protect, promote, and care for the forest preserves in Cook County.

Our community advocates for the responsible management of the nearly 70,000 acres of forest preserves in Cook County through advocacy, engagement, and stewardship of the land. Some of the best natural areas in Illinois are right here in Cook County, right outside your urban backdoor. Join our team and help us ensure they are here for the next 100 years.

Friends is an organization that gets things done with our members, volunteers, staff, board, and partners. We believe in work-life balance and are here for the marathon, not the sprint (not that we don’t sprint on a regular basis).

Operating Budget: $3,750,000

Engagement Corps Assistant Crew Manager 

Reports to: Engagement Corps Crew Manager 

Start date: Jan 13, 2025

Pay rate: $20.00 

Schedule: 4-day work week, 36 hours per week (full-time)

Summary:

Friends of the Forest Preserves seeks an assistant crew manager for its Calumet Engagement Crew pilot program. This is a two-year training program that aims to introduce and train new professionals for careers in environmental public programming. The assistant crew manager will support the crew manager on a variety of tasks, including training participants, developing activities, coordinating schedules, and record keeping . The assistant will also work in collaboration with the Youth & Engagement Corps Manager, as well as other Friends staff for program development and training. Strong candidates will demonstrate strong leadership, excellent organizational skills, and a passion for advancing Friends conservation goals through a community-focused approach to engaging communities with the forest preserves in the Calumet Region. 

Responsibilities:

• Assist with managing and supervising 3 crew members to implement community engagement projects in the forest preserves
• Assist with developing and training crew members in public engagement, local community organizing, and community-based conservation and ecological concepts
• Assist in developing weekly crew schedule, training, and reporting
• Assist crew manager in evaluating and documenting crew work activities and performance by compiling weekly work log, taking and sharing crew photos, and assisting with writing quarterly and annual reports 
• Lead crew and project work when the crew manager is unavailable
• Any other assistance the crew manager assigns

Qualifications:

• 21 years or older with a clean driving record
• Work experience in education or training 
• Willingness to commit to the two-year training program
• Experience working and/or living in the Calumet region of Cook County, such as Riverdale, East Side, South Holland, Calumet City, Dolton, Blue Island, and/or others
• Inclusive and respectful approach to working with a diversity of people and partners across race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, and other identities
• Strong interest in engaging public audiences with conservation education-based programs and activities
• Effective working independently and as part of a collaborative team
• Efficient with time management and prioritizing a variety of tasks
• Passionate about Friends' mission and supporting an inclusive work environment
• Strong commitment to creating a culture of safety, teamwork, and learning
• Flexible schedule, including availability on weekends and evenings
• Ability to pass comprehensive background check
• Proficiency with Google Office Suite and social media formats

Beneficial qualifications:

• Experience in conservation/environmental-based education public programming 
• Formal or informal education in any of the conservation/science-based fields 
• Great problem solving/troubleshooting skills

Benefits:

• Health and dental insurance, short- and long-term disability insurance, and $100,000 of life insurance
• 403b retirement account with 3% match starting at 1 year of employment
• 3 weeks of vacation
• 2 weeks of sick time
• 11 paid holidays plus 2 additional paid days of winter break

To apply: Submit cover letter, resume, and two references via the Friends’ website at https://fotfp.org/who-we-are/jobs/. Incomplete applications may not be considered. Please NO calls, faxes, office visits, or emails.